ABSTRACT
At a critical period in his life, and in the life of the post-Tridentine Roman Church, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina published three linked books of motets for from five to eight voices in 1569, 1572 and 1575. Dedicated to members of the Este and Gonzaga families, these books have not had the same attention as the composer’s other motet collections. This chapter will look at their organisation, sources of texts, stylistic choices and performance contexts. The discussion will help the reader understand their significance in the broader context of Palestrina’s life, and in the religious atmosphere of the time in Rome.
